Celebrity

Coming straight after Deconstructing Harry, Celebrity is another harsh, angry film. Shot in stark black and white and with a biting, sour message.

Kenneth Branagh stars as Lee Simon, a journalist with aspirations of higher writing. Along with his ex wife, Robin (Judy Davis), the two go on a search for happiness through fame. Lee by hanging around it, Robin by becoming it.

Hugh Grant was supposedly offered the role of Lee, but then later lost it to Kenneth Branagh. Grant would work with Allen a couple of years later in Small Time Crooks

Drew Barrymore, who worked with Allen on Everyone Says I Love You, was the first choice for Nola. Kate Winslet was later considered.

Michael Imperioli was up for a role, but gave it up for ‘The Sopranos‘. Sam Rockwell took his place.

Vanessa Redgrave was featured in a role which Allen re-shot completely with Elaine Stritch. The character was later cut altogether and replaced by a different, younger character played by Bebe Neuwirth.

One of cinematographer Sven Nykvist final films. He worked with Allen twice previously. He was going blind at the time, and this partly inspired Hollywood Ending.

Magician David Blaine makes a cameo in the DiCaprio scenes. Allen would guest in one of Blaine’s TV specials in 2014.

The last Allen film to feature editor Susan E Morse. Morse worked on every Allen film since Annie Hall. Sadly, she would be cut due to cost measures implemented by Sweetland films, Allen’s production partner.

Trivia

Stylistically and thematically, this film owes a lot to Frederico Fellini‘s ‘La Dolce Vita‘.